معرفی
Maria Grazia Guido is a Full Professor of "Language and Translation – English" at the University of Salento, where she also serves as Director of the Department of Humanities and as an Academic Senator. Her academic career spans several decades with significant contributions to linguistics, translation studies, and intercultural communication.
Professor Guido earned her Ph.D. in English Applied Linguistics (1991-1994) and a Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship in English Interlanguage Pragmatics (1995-1997) from the Institute of Education, University of London, under the supervision of Professor H.G. Widdowson. She has held various leadership positions including Director of the University Language Centre (2008-2016), Coordinator of multiple doctoral programs, and Director of the Master's in "Intercultural Linguistic Mediation in Immigration and Asylum Matters" (2007-2018).
Her research primarily focuses on English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) in intercultural contexts, particularly examining migration narratives, trauma discourse, and cross-cultural communication. Professor Guido has pioneered work on how migrants use ELF to convey complex experiences, especially in traumatic contexts, and how these narratives intersect with ancient literary traditions. Her research spans cognitive linguistics, pragmatics, discourse analysis, and translation studies, with particular attention to the sociocultural dimensions of language use.
Professor Guido's scholarly output demonstrates a clear evolution from foundational work on cognitive approaches to language learning and translation toward increasingly specialized applications of ELF in migration contexts, legal settings, and tourism. Her recent publications reveal growing interest in digital communication during the pandemic, examining how migrants navigate online spaces and how traditional narrative forms adapt to new media environments. A consistent thread throughout her work is the examination of how language shapes and is shaped by cultural identity, particularly in contexts of displacement and intercultural encounter.
Among Professor Guido's notable recognitions are consistently "excellent" ratings in Research Quality Evaluations (VQR) for multiple evaluation periods, inclusion in Marquis Who's Who in the World, and appointment to prestigious evaluation committees including ANVUR's Group of Expert Evaluators and the National Scientific Qualification Commission. She has served on these committees due to her recognized expertise in evaluating scholarly work in English linguistics and intercultural communication.
Throughout her career, Professor Guido has secured significant research funding, including as Principal Investigator of a PRIN Research Project on "English as a Lingua Franca in domain-specific contexts of intercultural communication" (2017-2020). She has also directed research projects funded by the Cassa di Risparmio di Puglia Foundation and the Puglia Region's Cultural Activities Program. Her mentorship extends to numerous doctoral students through her coordination of multiple doctoral programs and her role in establishing the International Doctorate in "Modern and Classical Languages, Literatures and Cultures" in collaboration with the University of Vienna.
Professor Guido founded and directs the "Research Center on Lingua Franca in Intercultural and Multimedia Communication" (since 2014), which has become a hub for interdisciplinary research connecting linguistics with migration studies, digital communication, and cultural heritage. Through this center and her editorial leadership of the "Lingue e Linguaggi" journal (accredited as "class A" for Area 10 by ANVUR), she has fostered collaborative research networks both nationally and internationally.
